The Ossuary of Timau was created in 1936 following the idea of a priest, don Titta Bulfon, who promoted the conversion of an old religious building (the Church of the Holy Crucifix) into a memorial to accommodate the remains of soldiers that were scattered in a plethora of war cemeteries across Carnia. The work was entrusted to
Giannino Castiglioni, who had already supervised the construction of the
Memorial of Redipuglia, the
Ossuary of Oslavia and
Caporetto.
Construction work started in the following year and the ossuary was officially inaugurated in May 1939, right before WW II broke out. Its structure follows the layout of the previous church, surrounded by a
majestic portico on three sides, in which the
remains of several soldiers can be found. The ossuary hosts a total of 1763 fallen soldiers (298 unknown Italian soldiers and 65 Austrians), whose remains were moved from various Alpine cemeteries and from the war cemetery of Timau.
Its facade features a mosaic representing
two angels worshipping the Cross, a tower with three bells in a pyramidal position and
three crosses rising to the sky. Inside, visitors can admire a
pictorial composition by Marino Sopracasa consisting of
eight panels and inspired by the Friulian song "Alpine Star" ("Stelutis alpinis") as well as a
fresco dedicated to the Carnic porters, at the foot of which lie the remains of
Maria Plozner Mentil. On the altar, finally, you can see a sculpture of the
Crucified Knave, by Giannino Castiglioni, and
Our Lady of the Snow, painted by Fragiacomo di Venezia to decorate the Chapel of Pal Grande in 1916.
Opening
Summer 2022: everyday, 10.00am-12.00pm / 3.00pm-6.00pm
